Nearly 50 people competed in the professional and backyard divisions. (Image Source: WLOX News)

D'IBERVILLE, MS (WLOX) -

The competition heated up Saturday as nearly 50 pit masters from three different states brought their A-game for the 10th annual BBQ Throwdown.

"I can't play football or baseball no more, but I can compete in this. So, it's still competition and it's almost as good a thrill when they call your name and you go on stage as it was hitting a home run when I was 16 years old," Dan Dubose of Bay to the Bayou.

Getting perfectly smoked or grilled meat isn't an easy task. Even though pitmasters love what they do, they admit - it's a lot of hard work.

"Lot of work, long hours, like I said, no sleep. I been up ever since five o'clock yesterday, so you just got to love it," said Fred Jones of Jones B Smokin'.

Fred Jones traveled from Hattiesburg for the 2016 throwdown. He's been competing in cook-offs for the past five years, and it all started with a suggestion from a friend.

"One of my friends fooled me into coming to cook for him, and it was a competition," said Jones. "And I ended up winning in my first year."

No two rigs are the same. Some chose to smoke their meat, others chose to grill. There are many different methods believed to get the perfect tender meat.

Jason Gibson, an engineer by trade, actually designed his very own cooker.

"I used my dad's smoker about seven years ago in this competition. I enjoyed it so much, I built my own rig," said Jason Gibson of Advance Construction Development.

Not everybody in attendance was in it to win it. Thousands of people just showed up to enjoy the event, and get some grub.

"Through the gate we had over 4,000 people, and who knows how many actually snuck in through the nooks and crannies, but it was a great turn out," Brian Sims of D'Iberville Gateway Group

This grand champion in the professional division was Adam Gautreau. The amateur grand champ was Jack Younger.

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